Night 48: F21-F30 Hallway

[fourstonewalls]

When the intercom finished another deliberately vague note, Lana was already standing at her door, flashlight in hand and scalpel securely in her coat pocket. She'd neglected to find out exactly how the doors worked at night, but the general idea was clear. Some time soon, they would open, and she had to be ready the moment they did

Comments

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

Though he smiled he was still troubled; that much Nunnally could always tell about him, even if she didn't know or he wouldn't say what the exact cause was. Undoubtedly he was trying to make plans and determine the best way to fulfill his promise, and she could only hope that he would do so in a fashion that wouldn't leave her disappointed in him. It was uncomfortable to have such contradictory feelings about her brother, but she couldn't simply forget any of what had happened.

When he shifted the topic from the potential dangers of the trip to the more pleasant aspects of the town Nunnally allowed herself to be distracted for the moment, head tilting a little with curiousity. A tour? She couldn't help but recall her slow, halting progress just through the hallways of the building here; exploring a strange town would be even more difficult for her. Perhaps the nurses would allow her the use of a wheelchair for a day -- unless, of course, the near-miraculous healing continued to the point that she wouldn't need assistance to walk tomorrow. She never knew.

"I'll look forward to it," she replied with a smile and unfeigned interest. If Euphemia had compared the woman to Cornelia, she was definitely someone that Nunnally wanted to meet. "And won't Suzaku be there? I haven't seen him all day."

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

As soon as he hesitated, broke off that first sentence without finishing, a frightening conviction bloomed to life within her. Something was wrong. Something had happened the night before, everyone kept telling her how dangerous it was here at night -- Suzaku had been injured or even killed, and Nunnally remembered how it had felt when she'd thought him fallen in battle once before. It had been a comfort, albeit small, to have him with her again even if neither could openly acknowledge who he was, and now she'd lost him here.

Some of the sudden tension faded when Lelouch continued to speak, anguish fading before it could fully take root, but there was still worry. "No longer here?" she echoed, eyes widening as she looked up at her brother for further explanation. "Where has he gone? When? How do you know?" And would he even give her the complete truth if he knew it? She was never certain, not anymore, but could still hope.

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

Released? But...all right, this place claimed to be a hospital for the mentally ill, but if they'd "released" Suzaku then he was supposed to be better. Had someone really convinced him that he was whoever the staff claimed he was, and not the Suzaku she knew at all? The idea was profoundly uncomfortable, and left Nunnally uncertain whether he, the real Suzaku, would have preferred that to being killed in battle. Or did it mean there was a chance that she would see him again?

It was all so strange and confusing, but since the topic already seemed to be an unpleasant one for Lelouch (of course it would be, he was Suzaku's friend as well) she didn't want to continue prying into it. She was certain that she could find another resident here who could explain exactly what it meant and how they could find Suzaku again, because she didn't intend to return home and leave him behind. "I see," was all she said aloud, though her gaze remained downcast.

"I spoke to Miss Yuffie today," Nunnally continued, almost visibly pushing the conversation onto another topic. It wasn't as though she'd forget about Suzaku's disappearance. That wasn't even possible. But she didn't have to keep discussing it and making everyone feel worse. "She seems like a very friendly young woman."

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

It didn't work completely, of course; neither of them would be able to just push Suzaku's disappearance away completely. All Nunnally could manage was a temporary distraction, giving herself time to consider just what she thought about it. She offered a smile to Lelouch in return with much the same thought behind it as his, and shook her head slightly. "Oh, not too much."

There was the part about Yuffie being a bad influence and hinting at all kinds of exploits back where she came from, but that was probably best not to mention at the moment. "She was curious about me, which doesn't seem surprising. And she offered to teach me more about origami once we have time to visit the arts and crafts room." Nunnally glanced down again, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a somewhat sad smile. "She reminded me of Milly, just a little."

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

"Does it? I'll have to remember that." The observation was spoken as though he'd had some experience with it, and Nunnally could only imagine how he'd learned about how difficult it must be to stop the teasing. What exactly had Yuffie found to harass Lelouch about, anyway? Now Nunnally was curious, and made a mental note to ask Yuffie about it if she managed to get the opportunity.

"There's a harder edge to her than most of the Student Council," she added, looking thoughtful. Yuffie was more -- intense, somehow. For all her lighthearted airs and joking, there was truth behind her statement that she'd done 'plenty of stuff' and Nunnally suspected not all of it was even so quiet as making dramatic speeches on a table in the middle of the cafeteria. "But I liked her. Is there something in particular I should be careful of?"

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

Don't take everything at face value. Don't tell her more than necessary. It was like Lelouch expected Yuffie to be dangerous somehow, which -- well, it wasn't a possibility that Nunnally would completely discount. At the same time, though, they had to trust someone here, and she hadn't seen anything to indicate that Yuffie was untrustworthy. She could keep her senses alert, though, if it would make Lelouch more comfortable. He didn't need to be dragged down by having to worry about her constantly. (Not that it was likely to stop, knowing him. Or knowing him as he used to be, as this Lelouch was now... would it ever stop being so confusing?)

"I haven't met very many people so far, but they've all been quite nice." And worried about her, after seeing the crutches she carried around. "This morning a young man named Kio even drew a sketch of me. He's not a bad artist, either." Nunnally might not have learned anything terribly useful as yet, but she was pleased to have made some friends.

That wasn't the most pressing thing to her, however, and she shook her head slightly before moving back to the previous topic. "You're speaking as though I should be afraid of the others trapped here. Why? Is there a reason to worry? Or to keep things secret?" At home they had spent years concealing their true identities in order to stay safe. Here, though, what could it matter? What should she not tell people?

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

For as much as Nunnally disliked deception, she still understood the need to simply not say certain things, or deflect questions when necessary. The two of them had managed to survive for years in an occupied Area 11 without anyone but a select few knowing that they were in truth missing Britannian royalty, after all, and even if she didn't quite understand the need not to mention their lineage in a place where Britannia apparently didn't even exist...well, Lelouch had been here longer than she had. She could trust his judgment for the moment, at least until she had a chance to study the situation for herself and make her own decision.

And even if she'd been inclined to argue the point, she couldn't help but be worried about how Lelouch was feeling at the moment; it was obviously upsetting him to ask what he had, and she didn't want to add to that. "It's all right," she said, squeezing his hand lightly. "It would help if I knew more of what you're thinking, though." She knew all too well how much he liked to keep things concealed, but -- she didn't want that. She didn't want him to make plans that involved her without including her, not ever again.

Re: F23

[jouer_sans_voir]

Now that he looked at least a little less unhappy Nunnally was far more comfortable with asking him questions, though she did intend to leave some of the more pointed ones for later. Why had he looked so distressed a moment ago? Did he truly believe that she would utterly reject him for asking that she keep certain things a secret?

Perhaps she would have been upset if he'd asked her to lie about some things, but not those -- it was almost nostalgic, really, like going back to the pretense they'd once lived, when things were simpler and happier. The idea of keeping an identity secret was now somewhat tainted by the memories of other false pretenses he'd maintained over the last year or so of her time, but it was for a different purpose. Rather than to mislead others, to lie and manipulate and twist events to their own ends, it was simple safety. Or so he said, and so she would have to investigate; she'd learned her lesson about completely trusting another's word, no matter who they were.

It would have been nice to go back to how things once were between them, but...there was too much there. Too many memories and too many secrets revealed, even if she still loved him as sincerely and deeply as ever. Nunnally breathed a faint sigh, hoping that none of her thoughts were visible, and smiled at him gently. "You've been here longer than I, Brother. You've made acquaintances and allies and plans, and apparently investigated the situation." None of that was any surprise, of course. She wouldn't expect otherwise of him. "I worry that I may run into something you've found dangerous without realizing."